Takedown Report

Most Dual Wins Top 100 – Active College Coaches – TDR # 31-13

Coaching win totals as of July 2023. This list is of the first 48 coaches while the rest of the list is Page linked in the upper right corner.
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ACTIVE Coaches – Top 100 w/ at least 104 wins    Wins &-Level   

1. Pat Pecora (Pitt-Johnstown)                                    646 – II
2. John Smith (Oklahoma State Univ.)                          476– I
3. Roger Crebs (Lycoming College)                              439 – III
4. Lonnie Morris (Johnson & Wales)                             422 – III
5. Tom Borelli (Central Michigan, Lake Superior St.) –  406 – I, II
6. Mike Denney (Maryville Univ./Nebr.-Omaha)          389 – II retired in 2023
7. Bruce Haberli (New York Univ./Manhattan Coll.)    384 – III
8. Ron Beaschler (Ohio Northern Univ.)                       374 – III
9. Rob Koll (Cornell Univ./Stanford/UNC)                    327 – I
10. Brian Smith (Missouri/Syracuse)                              326– I
11. Jim Makovsky (Minn. St.-Mankato/Valley City St.)  324 – II
12. Steve Costanzo (St. Cloud St. Univ./Dana College)  319- II
13. Dave Mitchell (Luther (IA)                                        315 – III
14. Tom Ryan (Ohio State/Hofstra)                                307 – I
15. Mark Manning (Nebraska/Northern Iowa)              305 – I
16. Tim Fader (Wisc.-Eau Claire, Whitewater, La Crosse) 300 – III
17. Martin Nichols (Ithaca College)                               299 – III
18. Jim Zalesky (Jamestown U./Oregon State/Iowa)     287 – I
19. Jon Laudenslager (Wilkes University) –                   282  –  III
20. Tom Brands (Iowa, Va. Tech) –                                 282  –  I
21. Paul Keysaw (Fresno City/Moorpark College)         278 – Cal. Jr.Coll.
22. John Oostendorp  (Coe College)                            266  –  III
23. Jay Jones (Rhode Island College) –                         261  –  III
24. Bryan Brunk (Messiah College) –                            255  –  III
25. Tim Flynn (West Virginia Un./Edinboro Univ.)  –    254-  I
26. Jake Fitzpatrick (Santa Rosa Coll.)                          246  – incomplete  Calf. Jr. C.
27. Joel Greenlee (Ohio University) –                           244  –  I  
28. Roger Reina (Pennsylvania, Univ. of)                      242  – I
29. Brad Bruhn (SUNY-Cortland) –                                 236  –  III retired in 2022
30. Joe Renfro  (Northeastern Oklahoma, Labette Jr. Coll.)  236  –  JuCo
31. Robert Fisher (Kutztown University) –                      236  –  II
32. Cael Sanderson (Penn State, Iowa State) –                  235  –  I 
33. Franky James (Campbellsville Univ. Tennessee-Chattanooga) –  235 – NAIA,I
34. Don Henry (Gannon University) –                              233 –  II
35. Mike Machholz (Missouri Valley) –                           232  –  NAIA retired in 2022
36. Pat Popolizio (North Carolina State, SUNY-Binghampton) –  231  –  I
37. Kevin Dresser (Iowa State, Virginia Tech Univ.)      228  –  I
38. Pat Santoro (Lehigh University, Maryland)  –            225  –  I
39. Dave Malecek (Wisconsin-LaCrosse State) –            220  –  III
40. Drew Black  (Wesleyan Univ., Phoenix Coll.)  –       219  – III incomplete
41. Sebastian Amato (Trinity College)                             217 –  III
42. Johnny Johnson (Wisconsin-Stevens Point)  –           213  –  III
43. Jason Reitmeier (Augustana College, S.D.) –             212  –  II
44. Heath Grimm (Upper Iowa Univ.)  –                          210  –  II
45. James Kisgen (McKendree College) –                       210  – II/ NAIA
46. Scott Goodale (Rutgers University) –                        209  –  I
47. Mike Wehler (Mercyhurst, West Liberty State) –      207  –  II
48. Jamie Gibbs (Baldwin-Wallace, U.N.C.-Pembroke) – 205  –  III/II

Rest of the list is on the Page with the same title linked in the upper right corner.

December 30, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

New Programs in 2024 – TDR # 31-12

So far we have become aware of the following schools that will restart or revive their wrestling programs in 2024. We hope to see more schools joining this list. Bismark State College, Maine Mariime Academy, Northern Oklahoma College and Cal. State Poly at Humboldt.
Some schools are increasing wrestling opportunities by starting both Men’s and Women’s teams such as Felican University in New Jersey, Maine Maritime Academy, Misericordia University in Pennsylvania, Northern Oklahoma College, Penn State-Altoona, Tarleton State in Texas, and Randolph College in Virginia.
New Women’s teams will be added at Baldwin-Wallace University, Bethany College, Centenary College (NJ), Fort Hays State, Manchester University, McDaniel College, Minnesota North College-Itasca, Mount Union University, Muhlenberg College, Newberry College, Otterbein University, SUNY-Buffalo State, Upper Iowa University, West Liberty University, and Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
New Men’s teams will be started at Andrew College in Georgia and Westcliff University.

Some west coast schools have announced changes in conference affiliation in Division I for next year. We hope that they will take the opportunity to add wrestling to the athletics departments. The BIG 10 has traditionally been then only D-I conference with a wrestling program at every member school. We hope that the west coast teams will see the wisdom in expanding their sports offerings. It is a reasonable expectation since the conference schools will be flooded with TV coverage monies.

The expansion of the number of college programs will encourage the growth of the number of high school teams and the number of opportunities for more students to learn positive life skills that can be found in wrestling. 
This listing could be missing other new programs but so far we will have over 30 new programs in men’s (11 teams) and women’s (22) wrestling.

December 30, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 Rankings – Mid-Season 106-113 – TDR # 31-11

Editor’s Notes; The preliminary mid-season rankings for male scholastic wrestlers in eastern North Carolina with the final two weight classes. The rankings are imperfect and are intended to generate discussion and interest. The top 12 wrestlers in each weight class are listed in order. Wrestlers listed as #13 are to be considered as honorable mention for the weight class. We welcome reader’s input and information. Email us at martinkfleming@takedownreport +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rank  Wght.  Wrestler         Team          Gr. Yr. Wins Ls  Pct  Region

1	106	Verhow, Abrey	White Oak	26	17	0	1.000	3A-E
2	106	Quincy, Holton	North East Carolina Prep	27	25	1	0.962	1A-E
3	106	Alvarado, Brian Trujillo	New Hanover	25	25	2	0.926	4A-E
4	106	Monks, Alex	Bunn	25	24	3	0.889	2A-ME
5	106	Baker, Trevon	Southern Nash	25	22	3	0.880	3A-E
6	106	Hernandez-Aragon, Jonathan	New Hanover	25	13	2	0.867	4A-E
7	106	Maples, Joseph	South Lenoir	25	16	3	0.842	2A-E
8	106	Boltes, Sam	Washington	27	29	8	0.784	2A-E
9	106	Sanchez, Cameron	Croatan	25	30	9	0.769	3A-E
10	106	Fountain, Weseley	SouthWest Edgecombe	26	9	1	0.900	2A-E
11	106	Fox, Landon	New Bern	27	18	5	0.783	4A-E
12	106	Mundell, Tyler	North Pitt	27	23	7	0.767	2A-E
13	106	Ockerman, Anna	Corinth-Holders	25	7	0	1.000	4A-E
13	106	Dung, Seth	Heritage	27	7	1	0.875	4A-E
13	106	Raines, Michael	Lejeune	26	17	6	0.739	1A-E
13	106	Winburn, Tristan	West Brunswick	27	16	6	0.727	3A-E
13	106	Gibson, Brayden	South Central	26	18	7	0.720	3A-E
13	106	Climie, Brayden	Swansboro	24	12	5	0.706	3A-E
1	113	Perry, Bryce	Washington	27	36	2	0.947	2A-E
2	113	Guthrie, Keller	Ayden-Grifton	26	21	2	0.913	2A-E
3	113	Lewis, Colton	North East Carolina Prep	25	26	3	0.897	1A-E
4	113	McMahon, Carvin	Aycock, C.B.	24	16	2	0.889	3A-E
5	113	Barnett, Alexander	New Bern	25	20	3	0.870	4A-E
6	113	Salazar, Jose	Southern Nash	25	26	5	0.839	3A-E
7	113	Williamson, Redmond	Northern Nash	25	20	4	0.833	3A-E
8	113	Arrington, Ayden	Laney	25	19	4	0.826	4A-E
9	113	Gresham, Bryson	J.F. Webb	24	11	3	0.786	2A-ME
10	113	Bullock, Jeremy	North Pitt	26	16	6	0.727	2A-E
11	113	Tran, Sander	South Central	26	16	6	0.727	3A-E
12	113	Brandow, Maison	Pasquotank Co.	27	20	8	0.714	2A-E
13	113	Duhon, Carter	Southwest Onslow	24	0	0	####	2A-E
13	113	Goodman, Aaron	Swansboro	27	9	3	0.750	3A-E
13	113	Hizer, Michael	West Johnston	27	9	3	0.750	3A-ME
13	113	Smiling, Chayton	St. Pauls	25	11	4	0.733	2A-ME
13	113	Wright, Finley	Heritage	26	13	5	0.722	4A-E
13	113	Carter, Matthew	New Hanover	27	12	5	0.706	4A-E

December 30, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

D-I Pre-Christmas Dual Meets Round Up

No. 20 West Virginia Shuts Out Fairmont State
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In front of 752 fans, the West Virginia University wrestling team claimed seven wins by fall on its way to a 56-0 victory over Fairmont State at the WVU Coliseum on Tuesday night.  
West Virginia improves to 7-1 overall for the first time in consecutive seasons since 1960 and 1961 after capturing its first home shutout since 2020 against Hofstra (38-0). … story at … WVUsports.com/Wrestling-no-20-west-virginia-shuts-out-fairmont-state

Wyoming Wrestling Claims a Pair of Bouts in 31-9 Defeat to No. 9 Oklahoma State
LARAMIE, Wyo. (12/19/23) – The University of Wyoming wrestling team couldn’t have asked for a better start Tuesday night in its dual against No. 9 Oklahoma State. No. 9 Jore Volk (125) gave the fans inside the UniWyo Sports Complex something to cheer about early, however, only one more Wyoming win matriculated in.
Oklahoma State prevailed, 31-9, to push its record to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12. Wyoming falls to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in league action. … story at … GOwyo.com/Wrestling-claims-a-pair-of-bouts-in-31-9-defeat-to-no-9-oklahoma-state

Panthers roll past Lock Haven at Collegiate Duals, fall to Buckeyes and Wolfpack
Trever Anderson headlines UNI’s impressive day of action with upset of top-ranked challenger. UNI returns to action at the Soldier Salute in Coralville, Dec. 29-30.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — UNI wrestling battled two of the nation’s top-ten teams and secured its first dual win of the season as the Panthers participated in the 2023 edition of the Journeymen Collegiate Duals at the Montgomery Bell Academy in the Music City on Tuesday.
Northern Iowa faced a tough test in the first of three duals on the day in a 26-7 loss to No. 10 Ohio State, before coming up short in a hotly contested matchup with No. 2 North Carolina State, 25-16. The Panthers wrapped the day in impressive fashion with a 35-3 rout of Lock Haven, … story at … UNIpanthers.com/Panthers-roll-past-lock-haven-at-collegiate-duals-fall-to-buckeyes-and-wolfpack

Four Sooners Claim Individual Titles at Reno Tournament of Champions
RENO, Nev. – Oklahoma wrestlers KJ Evans, Jared Hill, Tate Picklo and Stephen Buchanan took home individual titles from the Reno Tournament of Champions, while the Sooners placed first as a team on Sunday.
The Sooners tallied 174.5 points in the 21-team tournament. Wyoming placed second with 150 points, while Grand View finished third with 130.5 points. Utah Valley took fourth with 76 points and No. 9 Oklahoma State rounded out the top five with 65.5 points.
Altogether, OU had four champions, four runners-up … story at … Soonersports.com/Wrestling-four-sooners-claim-individual-titles-at-reno-tournament-of-champions

Mountain Climbing — IU Poised to Make Big Ten Wrestling Move
By Pete DiPrimio      IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– Climbing a mountain is never easy, especially when it’s the Big Ten wrestling mountain built on the achievements of legends with names of Gable, Sanderson and Brands.
Here is Angel Escobedo, a legend in his own right with a national championship and four All-America honors as an individual, seeking as head coach to elevate Indiana’s program to elite status.
And it includes this ultimate mountain-top quest: ”That’s the goal — … story at … IUhoosiers.com/Mountain-climbing-iu-poised-to-make-big-ten-wrestling-move

NCAA D1 Week 7 Roundup: Blog of Champions
The world’s finest collection of noteworthy happenings from the seventh week of the 2023-24 NCAA D1 wrestling season
Hello from Fort Worth, Texas, the livestock capital of the world and the location of Senior Nationals, where bids to the 2024 Olympic Team Trials have been earned.  We’ll talk more about Sr Nats later. What we will discuss more immediately is this blog’s primary concern, namely the NCAA D1 wrestling week that was.  Box Scores | Rankings | Last Week’s Roundup
The holiday season is slowing the collegiate wrestling world down, but there were still scads of noteworthy happenings from week 7 of the 2023-24 season, so let’s get noting!
The Dual of the Century of the Week: App State vs North Carolina
There are eight (EIGHT!) D1 programs in the great state of North Carolina, so we figured now was as good as any to highlight two of the best! App State pulled off the –don’t call it an–upset … story at … Flowrestling.org/NCAA-d1-week-7-roundup-blog-of-champions

No. 13 Pitt Battles in Challenging Collegiate Duals
NASHVILLE—In its final event of the year, the No. 13 Pitt wrestling team battled through a long day of wrestling action at the 2023 Collegiate Duals on Monday at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville. The Panthers (7-3) went 1-2 on the day of duals, surviving a scare against Little Rock by winning 22-21 on the third criteria of match points. Pitt opened with a narrow 21-14 defeat to No. 6 Iowa State and followed that up with a 27-12 defeat to No. 5 Cornell. “We came here for some really good competition, and that’s what we got,” Pitt coach Keith Gavin said. … story at … Pittsburghpanthers.com/Wrestling-no-13-pitt-battles-in-challenging-collegiate-duals

Cornell Takes Two Of Three At National Collegiate Duals
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The No. 5 Cornell wrestling team won two of its three duals Monday at the National Collegiate Duals, beating Little Rock 32-8 and No. 13 Pittsburgh 27-13 before falling to No. 6 Iowa State 26-15 at Montgomery Bell Academy. The Big Red moved to 3-1 in duals this season at the event. 
Top Notes and Highlights 
Three-time All-American and 2023 national champion Vito Arujau (133) returned to Cornell’s lineup for the first time since the Journeymen Classic in early November. The senior defeated No. 21 Nasir Bailey (Little Rock) 4-0 by decision and No. 23 Vinny Santaniello (Pitt) 19-4 by technical fall. … story at … Cornellbigred.com/Collegiate-wrestling-duals-recap

No. 6 Iowa State Goes 3-0 at Collegiate Duals
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 6 Iowa State (6-1, 0-0 Big 12) ended 2023 on a high note with a 3-0 outing, including a pair of top-15 wins, at the Collegiate Duals. The Cyclones notched victories over No. 13 Pittsburgh, Little Rock and No. 5 Cornell Monday at Montgomery Bell Academy.
In the day’s first contest, Iowa State took six of 10 matches from Pittsburgh as the Cyclones prevailed, 21-14. ISU trounced Little Rock, 31-9, before topping No. 5 Cornell, 26-15, in the day’s final dual.
Anthony Echemendia highlighted the day with major decisions against two top-16 opponents. He defeated Pitt’s No. 15 Cole Mathews, 12-3, and Cornell’s Vince Cornella, 13-4. … story at … Cyclones.com/Wrestling-no-6-iowa-state-goes-3-0-at-collegiate-duals

December 29, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 Rankings – Mid-Season 120 -132 – TDR # 31-10

Editor’s Notes; The preliminary mid-season rankings for male scholastic wrestlers in eastern North Carolina with the next three weight classes. The rankings are imperfect and are intended to generate discussion and interest. The top 12 wrestlers in each weight class are listed in order. Wrestlers listed as #13 are to be considered as honorable mention for the weight class. We welcome reader’s input and information. Email us at martinkfleming@takedownreport +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rank  Wght.  Wrestler         Team          Gr. Yr. Wins Ls  Pct  Region

December 29, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Carolina Colleges’ Results and News

Blue Devils Split Tri-Meet with Queens and The Citadel
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Duke wrestling split a pair of road duals on Tuesday, falling to The Citadel, 23-9, before rebounding with a 47-0 decision over host Queens inside Curry Arena in Charlotte, N.C. Senior Logan Agin and sophomores Gaetano Console and Connor Barket led the way with 2-0 performances on the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
•    Agin opened the tri-meet for the Blue Devils with a 5-3 victory over The Citadel’s Malik Hardy.
•    The Bulldogs responded in the following matches, securing four straight victories to pull away with the lead.
•    Console and Barket added in six additional points for Duke, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to close the gap.
•    Senior Conor Becker and freshman Kwasi Bonsu each battled their Citadel opponents, but dropped in tight decisions, 2-0 and 9-6, respectively.
•    The Blue Devils bounced back in the afternoon against Queens, shutting out the Royals, 47-0, to close out the day.
•    Opening at 125, Agin put the team ahead quickly, … story at … GOduke.com/Blue-devils-split-tri-meet-with-queens-and-the-citadel

The Citadel Wrestling Takes Down Duke, Queens to Clinch Tri-Meet Victory in 2023 Finale
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bolstered by a slew of 2-0 performances from Jacob Silka, Jeff Boyd, Thomas Snipes, Brodie Porter and Adam Ortega, The Citadel (7-1, 0-0 SoCon) dominated in back-to-back duals at the Duke / Queens Tri-Meet in the program’s final competitive offering of 2023, initially downing the Blue Devils by a 26-9 margin before powering past the host Royals via a decisive 43-3 mark Tuesday afternoon at Curry Arena.
Notably, the win over Duke serves as the Bulldogs’ first victory over a Power Five program since Jan. 14, 2012, when The Citadel downed North Carolina by a 22-15 mark. Earlier that same season, The Citadel topped both North Carolina State (19-18, Dec. 17, 2011) and Duke (28-14, Jan. 6, 2012) for a grant total three wins over Power Five opponents.
Additionally, with the pair of victories over Duke and Queens officially logged, the Bulldogs move to 7-1 for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign; … story at … Citadelsports.com/Wrestling-takes-down-duke-queens-to-clinch-tri-meet-victory

Campbell Camels win 17 individual matches at Fighting Camel Duals
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Camels racked up 17 individual victories and a win over North Dakota State in the Fighting Camel Duals, held Tuesday at the Pope Convocation Center.
Campbell defeated NDSU by a score of 30-13 to start the event. They followed that with an extremely close match against No. 19 ranked Stanford. The score was tied at 11 after six matches, then tied at 14 after eight. The Cardinal earned a tech fall at 197, while the Camels were held to a decision in the heavyweight bout. Stanford came away with the 19-17 win.
The Camels’ night ended with a 21-17 defeat to Purdue, with each team winning five individual matches. Campbell now sits at 3-3 in dual matches this season as they move into the holiday break.
Dom Baker was a highlight for the Camels, going 3-0 on the day with wins over two nationally ranked opponents. He defeated #16 Hunter Garvin of Stanford with a 13-7 decision. He then held on to a 8-7 victory over #22 Stoney Buell of Purdue to end his night.
Heavyweight Taye Ghadiali also came away with three victories, … story at … GOcamels.com/Camels-win-17-individual-matches-at-fighting-camel-duals

Stanford Undefeated in Buies Creek
Cardinal goes 3-0 at the Fighting Camel Duals
By: Stanford Athletics
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Led by senior Nick Stemmet and sophomore Daniel Cardenas, No. 16 Stanford went 3-0 at the Fighting Camel Duals, defeating Purdue (24-13), No. 28 Campbell (19-17) and North Dakota State (26-17), Tuesday, at Gore Arena.
Stanford, which had some new faces in the lineup, improves to 5-1 on the season under The Matt Gentry Head Wrestling Coach Chris Ayres, who is in his first season with the Cardinal.
Stemmet and Cardenas each went 3-0 on the day to move to 15-3 and 13-2 on the season, respectively. All three of Stemmet’s wins came by bonus points. … story at … GOstanford.com/Wrestling-undefeated-in-buies-creek

December 29, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 Rankings – Mid-Season 138 -150 – TDR # 31-9

Editor’s Notes; The following are preliminary mid-season rankings for male scholastic wrestlers in eastern North Carolina, The following are three middle-weight classes. The rankings are imperfect and are intended to generate discussion and interest. The top 12 wrestlers in each weight class are listed in order. Wrestlers listed as #13 are to be considered as honorable mention for the weight class. We welcome reader’s input and information. Email us at martinkfleming@takedownreport +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rank  Wght.  Wrestler         Team          Gr. Yr. Wins Ls  Pct  Region

December 28, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Senior Nationals competing for Olmpic Trials spots

Everything you need to know about the college wrestlers competing for an Olympic Trials spot at Senior Nationals
Olympic (Trials) dreams may begin and end in Fort Worth, Texas, this weekend at senior nationals, as hundreds of elite wrestlers take the mat looking for their opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Trials in State College, Pennsylvania, in April.
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Any athlete who finishes in the top five of their respective weight class this weekend during the Dec. 15-17 tournament secures their spot. Locking up a spot in December means potentially not having to make weight again until April, which could be especially important for athletes in between weights who are cutting or bulking after wrestling a non-Olympic weight for the last several years or throughout the college season.
This year’s senior nationals event, though, isn’t the only qualifying tournament for the Olympic Trials, as some athletes have already qualified through previous world team participation, age group medal performance or a Bill Ferrell Invitational championship. Athletes can also secure a ticket to Olympic Trials in the coming months by qualifying the weight at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier or winning the Pan American championships. … story at … NCAA.com/Everything-you-need-know-about-college-wrestlers-competing-olympic-trials-spot

2023 Senior Nationals Preview & Predictions – Men’s Freestyle
A full preview with predictions for the 2023 Senior National wrestling tournament in men’s freestyle
The 2023 Senior Nationals is set to take place December 15-17 in Fort Worth, Texas. This event will feature some of the best wrestlers in the United States with the top 5 finishers at every weight qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Team Trials. Take a look at the article below for a full preview with predictions for the men’s freestyle division at Senior Nationals. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Senior-nationals-preview-predictions-mens-freestyle

2023 Women’s Freestyle US Nationals Preview
A crowded and competitive field means a few women’s freestyle stars will realize their dreams of reaching the 2024 Olympic Trials.
This year’s US Nationals means almost everything to the pursuit of an Olympic team. The top five finishers in six Olympic weights qualify for the 2024 Olympic Trials. A wrestler who has already qualified for the Olympic Trials could knock another wrestler out of a spot if she places in the top five. 
The United States has qualified three of six weights for the 2024 Olympic Games with two remaining opportunities to qualify the remaining three. Below is a breakdown of each weight and who is sitting in the best-of-three finals at the Olympic Trials. 
Click here for a full list of entrants … story at … Flowrestling.org/Womens-freestyle-us-nationals-preview

Ten Things to Watch at 2023 Senior Nationals
Tomorrow, USA Wrestling’s Senior Nationals will get underway from the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The event is a qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Trials in State College, Pennsylvania. The top-five placewinners at each weight, in each discipline, will earn a spot at the Trials. In some cases, there are wrestlers who have already qualified for the Trials but have decided to compete anyway. Here are ten interesting items to keep in mind as you follow the tournament over the next three days:
Spencer Lee/Nick Suriano
It’s simply the most anticipated potential match of the tournament, regardless of style or weight class. Spencer Lee and Nick Suriano have crossed paths many times during their wrestling careers; however, they’ve only met three times in competition. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Ten-things-to-watch-at-2023-senior-nationals

December 27, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 Rankings – Mid-Season 157 -175 – TDR #31-8

Editor’s Notes; The following are preliminary mid-season rankings for male scholastic wrestlers in eastern North Carolina, The following are the next three weight classes. The rankings are imperfect and are intended to generate discussion and interest. The top 12 wrestlers in each weight class are listed in order. Wrestlers listed as #13 are to be considered as honorable mention for the weight class. We welcome reader’s input and information. Email us at martinkfleming@takedownreport +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rank  Wght.  Wrestler         Team          Gr. Yr. Wins Ls  Pct  Region

December 27, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Women’s Collegiate Season – Mid-December

Three Takeaways from Week Six of the Women’s Collegiate Season
by Morgan Kopitsky; Erin Hikiji photo courtesy of University of Providence athletics

1. Ranked Missouri Matchup
#18 Central Methodist University made the quick trip across the state to compete in the #17 Missouri Baptist Duals featuring the two aforementioned teams along with Trinidad State and Westminster. While the two Missouri teams fared well against their other opponents, fans were eager to see the two closely ranked teams face off.
After a forfeit at 101 lbs, the two teams exchanged pins with #17 Alyssa King for Missouri Baptist getting one at 109 lbs and Karlee Lachance returning the favor for CMU at 116 lbs. At 123 lbs, #7 Juliana Diaz got a ranked tech fall over #14 Allison Hynes to extend Missouri Baptist’s lead. #16 Nonnie Justice bounced back for CMU getting a third-period pin at 130 lbs. #15 Lilly Gough kept things rolling for the Eagles with a tech fall at 136 lbs. However, after a pin at 143 lbs from Tiyahna Askew, the dual was all Missouri Baptist. They followed Askew’s lead earning two more pins at 155 lbs with #14 Josette Partney over Annsleigh Alexander and at 170 lbs with Anastasia Hardin over Tambria Wilson. MoBap earned 5 more team points from a forfeit at 191 lbs to close out the night making the final team score 34-14. 
While the final score was a bit lopsided, each team showed dominance at particular weights even against some ranked opponents. While I do not know how much this could affect team rankings given how close these two teams are, I think either has the potential to show out against an even higher-ranked team to really shake things up.

2. Cardinals and Tigers and Argos, Oh my!

The North Central Invite featured wrestlers from 25 different NAIA and NCAA-sanctioned programs as well as several talented unattached competitors as well. The North Central Cardinals took home first place with 177 team points and three champs. #1 Amani Jones defended her top seed with three pins and two techs to claim the title. Among her wins, … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Three-takeaways-from-week-six-of-the-womens-collegiate-season

Women’s Wrestling Battles Tough Competition at Kalahari Duals
Sandusky, OH – Alma College Women’s Wrestling was in action on Saturday at the Kalahari Duals. The Scots went 1-5 on the day, taking on some stiff competition, including multiple ranked opponents, one of which stands ranked in the top 10.
 
Alma 29, #23 Simpson B 9
Simpson B jumped out to a 4-0 advantage on a tech fall at 101 pounds. Alma’s MacKenzie Burger won at 109 via a 12-0 teach fall to tie the team score at 4-4. Alma then took a 9-4 lead via forfeit at 116 pounds. The scoring resumed at 130 pounds with a fall for Simpson B to tie the match at 9-9. The Scots answered in the form of Jaclyn Dietz winning via fall to snag 5 back for the Scots at 14-9. The Scots picked up 15 more points on forfeits, pulling away to win 29-9.
 
#13 Tiffin 29, Alma 15
Tiffin got to the board in the opening matches, winning at 101 (tech fall) and 109 (fall). The Scots won via forfeit at 116, before Tiffin piled on another 10 points at 123 (forfeit) and 130 (fall). Dietz won her second match of the day via fall at 136, and Clara Holtry also won via fall at 155. The opposition won the final two bouts at 170 (fall) and 191 (forfeit) to pull away.
 
#23 Simpson 40, Alma 8
After taking on Simpson’s B team earlier, Alma faced off with a tough Simpson squad. The Scots won the opening bout thanks to Burger at 101 pounds. The freshman won 8-3 to get the Scots on the board at 3-1. Simpson showed why they find themselves ranked in the NWCA Top 25, winning at every weight class with the exception of 191, where Alma picked up 5 more points via forfeit. … story at … Almascots.com/Womens-wrestling-battles-tough-competition-at-kalahari-duals

University of Sioux Falls breaking ground with women’s wrestling program
The Cougars have restarted their men’s program and launched a women’s team they hope can inspire growth in female wrestling
SIOUX FALLS — The University of Sioux Falls is going where only one other college in South Dakota has gone before. They’ve started a women’s wrestling team. Dakota Wesleyan was the first, launching their program in 2022.
The Cougars officially took the mat in November, and they’re off to a tremendous start — 4-0 in duals, and none of the four have even been close. That’s great — USF didn’t get into this sport not to win on the mat, after all. But this year at least, the Cougar women’s team is about more than takedowns and reversals. It’s about creating new opportunities for more women’s athletes, growing the sport of wrestling, establishing the legitimacy of women’s wrestling, and driving enrollment at the small, private school.
The Cougars’ inaugural roster is 12 women deep, made up of mostly freshmen, who have varying degrees of experience competing on the mat and come from nine different states. They claim six high school state champions. “It’s going great,” said coach Toby Bryant, who wrestled at South Dakota State and later coached at Aberdeen Central, Northern State and at the Metro Wrestling Academy he’s operated since 2015. “We’re just part of the overall gameplan of creating more NCAA opportunities (for women). This is a real thing. Most of our women were multi-sport athletes, and a lot of them have found they enjoy the martial art that wrestling provides more than the ball sports. They’re realizing they have a thirst for that. There’s definitely a chance to take advantage of the wrestling culture in the region and grow the sport for women.” … story at … Siouxfallslive.com/University-of-sioux-falls-breaking-ground-with-womens-wrestling-program

Four Gold Medals, Two Silver’s Charge PC to Another Dominant Showing at Wasp Open
EMORY, Va. – Corralling 16 pins, 11 technical falls, and 27 victories spread out between nine entrees, the 13^th-ranked Presbyterian College women’s wrestling program snatched the spotlight at the Wasp Open for the second straight season en route to an as-expected scorcher in the Commonwealth State on Friday afternoon. 
Held at Emory & Henry, the Blue Hose cast more than one eye-opener as a signifier to the talent level of their young core. Charlee Shuler (116), Madeline Kubicki (143), Henlee Haynes (170), and Ella Beam (191) never lost a single bout amongst them as they all climbed to a 1^st-place crown in their respective divisions. Not to be outdone, head coach Brian Vutianitis‘ squad continued to spread around the wealth by posting a 2^nd-place mark courtesy of Reagan Riddick and reigning Adidas / Game One Student-Athlete of the Week Cassia Zammit.
109-pounder Grace York and Haynes’ 170 mate Ta’Niya Roberts published bronze finishes in their own right, enabling Presby to showcase a tournament performance with their fingerprints littered all over its final results. Serving as a perfect preamble to the Midlands Championships – a famed bracket in Chicago … story at … GObluehose.com/Womens-wrestling-four-gold-medals-two-silvers-charge-pc-to-another-dominant-showing-at-wasp-open

Three-Time State Champ Dearwester Commits to Presbyterian College
(Harrison, Oh.) – Any college program would be lucky to have Chloe Dearwester on their roster.  But there can only be one college who is so lucky. On Wednesday morning, Dearwester announced that she will be attending Presbyterian College to wrestle at the Division I level.  Dearwester has become one of the top wrestlers in the nation over the course of her high school career. 
She put herself on the map in December of 2020 when she became the first female in Harrison High School history to win a varsity wrestling match. Dearwester would go on to win the OHSWCA Girls State Championship as a freshman, finishing the 2020-2021 season with a 32-1 record. In 2022, she was named the OHSWCA Outstanding Wrestler of the Year after winning he second consecutive state title at 105 lbs.
Dearwester three-peated in 2023 at the inaugural OHSAA Girls Wrestling State Tournament, where Harrison won the team championship. Her run to a third-straight state title was impressive, going 38-0 and winning the championship match by fall in just 59 seconds.
This past summer, Dearwester earned All-American status when she finished third at the USA Wrestling National Championship in North Dakota. More recently, Dearwester helped Harrison capture the championship at the first ever Women of Ironman Tournament. She was named the tournament Most Valuable Wrestler after defeating the #2 ranked wrestler in the nation in the championship match. … story at … Eaglecountryonline.com/3-time-state-champ-dearwester-commits-to-presbyterian-college

December 27, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment